Athlete&#39;s medal



July w, 1923. 1,461,565 C. J. VELTE ATHLETE S MEDAL Filed Dec. 28, 1922 IN VEN TOR.

Charles JVJZZe ATTORNEY Patented .lluly 1Q, 1923.

nerves as are ATHLETES MEDAL.

Application filed December 28, 1922. Serial No. 609,459.

. To all whom it 77ZdfI/ concern Be it known that I, CHARLES J. VELTE,

a citizen of the United States, and a resi-v dent of Waterbury, county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Athletes Medals, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to athletes medals,

and more particularly to a pendant medal to be used as a watch fob or the like, and

' adapted to receive detachable panels which may be earned by an athlete for excellence in various sports and activities.

One object of the invention is to provide an'ornamental athletes fob or medal provided with a series of perforations to receive panelseach panel indicating the successful performance of some particular test in a sport or activity. A further object is to provide a constructive medal of the above nature, provided with detachable panels, the grade of achievement in the particular sport being shown by the material of which the panel is made.

A further object is-t'o provide an athletes medal which will serve for a wide range of sports and activities, and which may be used equally well by beginners and by athletes of intermediate and advanced degrees of strength and skill.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple, compact, cheap to manufacture, easy to manipulate. and very efficient and durable in-use. I

With these and other objects in View, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice. v r

Fig. 1- represents a perspective view of a complete constructive medal embodying the invention, as it appears when used as a watch fob attached to the end of a leather strap. I c

Fig. 2' is a front view of the medal base, with only one panel in position. Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of the medal base taken along the line 33fof Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the panels and attaching nuts, shown in separated relation.

Numerous methods have been previously tried out',.to.stimulate interest in all-round physical development, such as the pentathlon, the McCurdy, and the hexathlon tests. However, none of these systems have been very widely used on account of the fact that the tests themselves and the awards given were not sufficiently attractive to appeal to the vast majority-of persons making use of athletics for physical upbuilding and more ation.

According to thepresent invention, the above and other disadvantages have been avoided, and a medal has been provided which will make a universal appeal to the young and old, the weak and the strong, and beginners and experts.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several. views, the numeral 10 indicates a medal base comprising in thisinstance a disk-shaped watch fob, preferably made of bronze. .The medal base 10 is preferably circular in shape except at its top where it is provided with a projecting section 11 having a slot 12 through which a leather strap 13 is adapted to pass. The strap 13 is provided with a tongue buckle 14 for securing its ends together, and is connected at its other end to a watch adapted to be located in the pocket of the wearer. I

The medal base 10 is provided with a series of perforations 15'five in number in this instance uniformly spaced from the periphery thereof. The perforations 15 are preferably equally spaced from one another, and so arranged that the lines joining their centers will form a pentagon, with one of its sides parallel with the strap slot 12 pre- Viouslv mentioned.

Each of'the perforations 15 comprisesa cylindrical front recess 16 of relatively small diameter and length, and a rear recess 17 of considerably greater da'meter and length, as compared to the recess 16. A

series of panels 18 corresponding to ach evements in various lines of sport or activities, are provided, and are adapted to beinterchangeably inserted in the perforations 15. The panels 18 are preferably made ident cal in shape, but with different designs engraved or stamped on the heads thereof. For example, when the device is to be employed as a Y. M. C. A. medal, one of the designs for the panels may show an athlete lifting a weightrepresenting gymnastics; another design may show a jumperrepresenting athletics; another design may show j corps, or on a team, taking part in ezihibi:

tions, ushering, bringing in new meme bers, etc.

Each of the panels comprises a flat circular head portion 1 8 having 'a th readed stud 19-projecting from the rear face'theree of. Anut 20 is also provided, and is adapted to be screwed upon the stud 19 for securely holding the. panel in position on the medal. The panelsmay be made of several .metals, such. as bronze, silver, and gold,

representing increasing degrees of excellence in the same sport or activity,

In operation. when an athlete has successfully passed the first test ina particularsport, hewill be presented with a panel of bronze having the appropriate design for said sport. He will'insert-this panel in the proper perforation in the medal base or fob, which may, have been given him at the same time, or previously. In attaching a panel to the medal base,-the stud'19 will first be inserted through the perforation 15 as far as it 'will go. -The circular face ofthe head portion 18 will then lie in contact withv the front of the disk 10. The nut 20 will next be screwed upon the stud 19 by means of a i suitablewren ch or other tool, until it tightly engages the base of the enlarged recess 17 WVhen the athlete succeeds in passing the next higher test in the same branch of sport,

he will: be presented with another panel of the same design, but made from a different metal, such as silver. He will then remove thebronze panel and substitute the silver panel therefor in the sameperfor'a tion., Again, if he passes the next or most advanced test in the same sport, he will be presented with a gold panel of the same design, which will then be substituted for the silver panel.

One advantage of th s invention is that the medals may be employed to encourage ,boys to begin striving for. higher accomplishmentsin various lines of sport at an early age, andlto; continue their effort as they be come able to pass the more advanced tests. The interest of the boys will thus be main tained, over the entire period of their growth and development. 1 I v,

A further advantage is that the. athlete does not have to wait until he has passed the most advanced tests before receiving an award, butwill be presented with a medal base and panel as soon as he has passed the mostelementary'test in any one particular sport; The possession of a medal base with an incomplete set ofpanels will stimulate him to strivejfor a full set ofpanels, and

having a fullset of bronze panels, there will A fifth design may;

be a strong incentive for him to try for silver and gold panels. While the invention will beunderstood that it is not to be limited to-suoh use, but the medal may also be emhas been herein illusi .trated asapplied' to an athletes medal, it.

ployed with detachable interchangeable panr els in various" other systems such as in the schools to encourage scholarship, in fraternal ordersto indicatethe number. of degrees obtained, or in the Army and Navy, to indicate'various honors achieved, campaigns I participated in, etc. While there has specification, one form in which the j inventionma-y be embodied, iris to. be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is been disclosed in thi not to be limited to the specific disclosure,

but may be modified and embodied invarious other forms without departing from its spirit. Inshort, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming withinthe scope ofthe following claims.

,Having thus fullyidescribed'the inven-' tion, what is claimed as new, and forwhich it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In an athletes medal, a disk having a pluralityof perforations, and a plurality of ornamental panels adapted to be 'detachably secured in said perforationspto indicate the achievements of said v athlete in various 4 branches of sport or other activities. 7

2. In an athletes medal, a ing a slot through whichfthe endof afstrap' is adapted to pass, said disk having a pluralityl of symmetrically arranged perforati0ns,'and detachable means to be inserted through said perforations to represent the various accomplishments of the athlete.'-

In an athletes medal, aldisk-havings. pluralityof perforations, eachof said perforations being enlarged atthe rear, and a fob dislrhaw 1 plurality of ornamental panels adapted to be detachably securedin said perforations to indicate the achlevements of an athlete in variousbr'anches of sport or activities, said panels having studs adapted to fit within the small vends" of said. ..perforations,' an'd I means-robe located in the enlarged ends of said, perforations for securing said panels in position. 1 i p I 4. In a constructive medaha metal disk,

a plurality of perforations insaid disk, said disk having a slot to receive a strap to'permit thev medal to be used as, a watch fobor the like, panels adapted to be'attached to r the face of said disk, said panels having.

studs extendingthrough said perforations, and means on the rear of said disk to engage said studs to holdsaid panelsinposi- 5. In a constructive. medal, a :"circular metal disk, a series of uniformly and' sym-- metrically spaced perforations arranged equidistant from the center of said medal, panels to be secured to said disk, each panel having a head section and a threaded stud projecting rearWardly therefrom, eachof said studs adapted to extend through one of said perforations, and a nut to be threaded on each stud behind said disk to hold said panel firmly in position.

6. In an athletes medal, a disk having a plurality of perforations, a plurality of,

panels to be detachably secured to said disk, eachjof said perforations comprising front cylindrical apertures of small diameter and depth, and rear cylindrical apertures of larger diameter and depth, each panel cons?sting of a. fiat head adapted to lie in contact with the face of said disk and having a stud extending throughone of said perforations, said studs fitting said front apertures, and nuts threaded on said studs adapted tofit Within the rear enlarged apertures of said perforations.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature to this specification.

CHARLES J. VELTE. 

